The following is an unofficial English translation of excerpts from coverage of the 6th Mongolia Forum on Northeast Asia: Peaceful Development and Korean Unification by Korean news outlet Chosun. The forum focused on environmental concerns while exploring opportunities for regional, promoting a departure from the current trend towards traditional Cold War-style alliances.
“Why is ‘unification of the Korean Peninsula’ discussed in Mongolia?” image
“Why is ‘unification of the Korean Peninsula’ discussed in Mongolia?”
North Korea is continuously distributing waste balloons toward South Korea and continuing ballistic missile provocations. On June 19, the ‘Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty’ was signed with Russia following Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to North Korea. As security threats and tensions on the Korean Peninsula increase, the ‘Mongolia Forum’ to discuss peaceful development in Northeast Asia and unification of the Korean Peninsula was held at a hotel in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia on July 9.
Former President Funsalmagin Ochirbat, who served as Mongolia’s first president from 1990 to 1997, opened the forum and said, “The role of this forum is even more important at a time when it is so unstable that it is difficult to even talk about peaceful unification of the Korean Peninsula.” “For the peaceful development of Northeast Asia, we must increase the participation of civil society organizations from each country and significantly attract the younger generation,” he emphasized. An important topic discussed at the forum on this day was ‘the role of civil society in promoting the goal of a unified Korean Peninsula.’
Kim Dong-soo, a former North Korean diplomat and advisor to the Institute for National Security Strategy, argued, “Depending on how North Korea’s human rights issues are handled, it can even lead to regime change by the North Korean people,” and added, “For this, North Korean defector groups should be actively utilized.” Elena Boykova, a senior researcher at the Institute of Oriental Studies at the Russian Academy of Sciences, said, “Civil society needs to become more active in international relations,” and added, “Exchanges should take place at the level of civil society rather than exchanges of experts at the level of politics and diplomacy.” pointed out.
This forum, which is the sixth this year, was held by ‘Blue Banner’, a Mongolian non-governmental organization (NGO) for denuclearization led by Chairman Jagalsaikhan Enkhsaikhan, who served as Mongolia’s ambassador to the United Nations, and ‘Global Peace Foundation (GPF)’, founded by World Chairman Hyun-jin Moon. ‘, ‘One Korea Foundation’ and ‘Action for Korea United (AKU)’ co-hosted the event. Ondra Abganluvsan, a member of the Mongolian National Assembly, Lee Myung-soo, a former People Power Party ROK National Assembly member who served four terms, former British Ambassador to North Korea John Everard, David Maxwell, Vice President of the Asia-Pacific Strategy Center, and Nobuo Tanaka, former Secretary-General of the International Energy Agency (IEA), participated. did.
Mongolia also experienced both division and regime change.
Mongolia is a kind of divided country divided into Outer Mongolia in the north and Inner Mongolia in the south, bordered by the Gobi Desert. The country we call Mongolia is Outer Mongolia, and Inner Mongolia was incorporated into China and became the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Outer Mongolia gained independence from China with the support of the Soviet Union and became the second communist country in the world after the Soviet Union. Afterwards, in the early 1990s, there was a transition to democracy and a market economy system without bloodshed. This is why people who talk about unification pay attention to the case of Mongolia, which experienced both division and regime change.
Mongolia also has diplomatic relations with both North and South Korea. It maintains traditional friendly relations with North Korea and is a ‘strategic partnership’ with South Korea, which is celebrating its 34th anniversary of diplomatic relations this year. Mongolia, which is geopolitically surrounded by powerful countries such as Russia and China, pursues a neutral policy and balanced diplomacy. Chairman Enkhsaikhan said, “Mongolia, which is based on the policy of good-neighborhood and friendship, has no territorial disputes or frictions with neighboring countries,” and added, “Whether it is South or North Korea, it is the only country that can hold meetings while equally guaranteeing the national interests of both sides.” .
Mongolia is a ‘nuclear-weapon-free zone’ where not only are there no nuclear weapons, but the use of nuclear weapons is also prohibited. In 1992, the UN General Assembly declared it a nuclear-weapon-free zone, and its denuclearization status was guaranteed through a UN General Assembly resolution in 1998. In 2012, the five permanent members of the UN Security Council received written confirmation of the safety of denuclearization, making it a ‘denuclearized country.’ Chairman Enkhsaikhan emphasized, “Mongolia, which has accumulated extraordinary experience in the process of creating a nuclear weapons-free zone, can become a role model for the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.”
At the forum on this day, the first joint declaration summarizing the discussions so far was presented and attracted attention. The declaration states: ‘Continue to promote the Mongolia Forum to build consensus around our goals, led by civil society’, and ‘Establish a regional mechanism in Northeast Asia to facilitate the launch and implementation of cross-border initiatives such as the Greater Tuman River Development Initiative (GTI) and new clean energy platforms.’ ‘Realize the political, economic and cultural potential of the Korean Peninsula by building international support to establish a free and unified Korea in line with Hongik Ingan’s philosophy’ ‘Strengthen soft power cooperation across Asia through a tree-planting campaign to prevent desertification in Mongolia’ ‘Peace It consists of five items, including ‘supporting the Global Peace Leadership Corps so that youth can act as important actors in the international community’.
First joint declaration after 6 forums
At the forum on this day, former IEA Director-General Nobuo Tanaka said, “We are currently in the midst of a global energy crisis,” and suggested, “We need to create a clean energy platform in Northeast Asia,” which was reflected in the final joint declaration. Former Secretary-General Nobuo Tanaka said, “Japan and Korea are more vulnerable to the energy crisis due to a lack of resources, but if they develop clean hydrogen and nuclear power together, they can become winners.” He added, “New and renewable energy “We need to build a power plant,” he argued.
Meanwhile, at this forum, it was also pointed out whether ‘peaceful unification’ would be possible. Former British Ambassador to North Korea John Everard said, “Now is the worst time to think about peaceful unification of the Korean Peninsula. If North Korea does not change its system, unification may only strengthen China’s position.” pinched
On the other hand, In-taek Seo standing representative of Action for Korea United, said that the situation on the Korean Peninsula is worsening and that this may actually be a favorable environment for unification. He said, “Anomalous signs that predict a crisis in the North Korean system are being revealed. The unification of East and West Germany was achieved through the decision-making of the residents. History shows that great transformations begin with ‘change from below.’ In order to prepare for unification, a consensus on the vision of unification must first be created in South Korean society.”
The ‘Camp David Declaration’ agreed upon by the three leaders of Korea, the United States, and Japan in August last year included the phrase ‘support for a free and peaceful unified Korean Peninsula.’ If there is a change of government in the United States ahead of the presidential election, will the Camp David Declaration be maintained? David Maxwell, vice president of the Asia-Pacific Strategy Center and former colonel of the U.S. Forces Korea Special Operations Command, who met with reporters after the forum, said, “When a president changes, the policies of the previous president are often abolished, but if Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is elected, he will accurately consider interests.” He said, “If you decide that the Camp David Declaration is beneficial to your regime, you can maintain it.”
